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Saturday, June 4, 2011

Girl revived after being found unconscious and not breathing in local hotel pool

Posted: Saturday, June 4, 2011 1:37 am
By Michael Farnworth For the Journal | 3 comments
POCATELLO — Quick thinking and a good memory helped a poolside bystander save the life of an 8-year-old girl after her father found her face down in the pool at the Red Lion Hotel Friday evening.

The 911 call came in just after 9 p.m. that the unidentified girl was found unconscious and not breathing. However, when paramedics arrived, the bystander, who identified herself only as Karen, managed to use CPR to resuscitate the girl with the help of Red Lion accounting employee Heidi Steele, who is also a part-time certified nursing assistant.

Karen is in town to attend her son’s basketball tournament today, and just happened to be by the pool when the girl’s father started screaming for help and jumped into the pool. After pulling his daughter to the side of the pool Karen helped to pull her out and immediately began CPR.

“I was amazed that I could even remember how to do it,” Karen said. “It’s been 14 years since I had any training in CPR.”

Steele came to the pool shortly after Karen had begun CPR, and as Karen worked to revive the girl, Heidi, who works part time for Need-A-Nurse Medical Staffing in Pocatello, coached her to keep going even after the girl began to cough.

“You have to keep going to try to clear out the airway completely,” Steele said.

“It felt good to be able to help,” Karen said. “I’m just glad that that little girl is still with us.”

“The paramedics are so very thankful for the bystander’s CPR,” Pocatello Fire Department Battalion Chief Tom Sanford said. “It definitely made a difference in this case.”

When the girl was placed in the ambulance just after 9:20 p.m., she was groggy but in stable condition. The name of the girl and her parents were not released.

The girl was transported to Portneuf Medical Center. Her condition was not immediately known.

Janet's Law, if passed, will help save lives

Published: Saturday, June 04, 2011, 9:43 AM
By Letters to the Editor/Hunterdon County Democrat

To the Editor:

On April 5, I was involved in the lifesaving efforts of a 16-year-old girl who suddenly collapsed during cheerleading tryouts at North Hunterdon High School.

She was a victim of SCA (sudden cardiac arrest). Because there was an AED close by and the coaches, patrolman and I were all trained in CPR, her life was saved that day. She was one of the lucky ones.

Sudden cardiac arrest in youth is not a rare occurrence. It happens to thousands of kids each year, at sporting events and in classrooms.

AED/CPR Awareness Week is June 1-7. It is critical that our community recognizes the importance of having AEDs available everywhere that youth congregate and that we encourage AED/CPR training and have an emergency plan should someone collapse due to SCA.

A group in New Jersey that is trying to stop these tragic instances is the Janet Fund. They have been pushing for the passage of Janet’s Law for over four years. Janet’s Law would make it mandatory that an AED be available at all schools and that every school has trained responders and an emergency action plan. The law also recommends that an AED be at all playing fields and camps.
When a child has a sudden cardiac arrest, there is a critical 3-5 minute window for that child to be saved. Know the chain of survival:

- Early recognition of SCA, which may include any of the following: collapsed and unresponsive, gasping, gurgling, seizure-like activity
- Early access to 9-1-1
- Begin CPR immediately
- Retrieve and begin use of an AED immediately
- Early advanced care from first responders.

As a parent who has saved a child from SCA, I urge you to contact your state representatives and ask them to support Janet’s Law.
Visit online thejanetfund.org. It is our responsibility as a community to shed light on SCA in youth — and save lives.

KELLY A. STRAUSS
Clinton Township